Our Services

Airway & Sleep

Understanding the connection between breathing, oral function, and airway health.

Breathing is one of the most fundamental functions of the human body, yet the way we breathe can be influenced by nasal airway function, oral posture, muscle function, and other factors.

At Southern Speech & Myo, we take a functional approach to evaluating the factors that may contribute to inefficient breathing and orofacial dysfunction.

Concerns We May Address

We work with individuals experiencing:

  • Snoring

  • Mouth breathing

  • Suspected sleep-disordered breathing

  • Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome

  • Obstructive sleep apnea

  • Poor sleep

  • Nasal breathing difficulties

  • Tongue dysfunction

  • Airway-related myofunctional issues

  • Post-tonsillectomy & adenoidectomy or other airway procedures

  • CPAP and Oral Appliance users who want adjunctive therapy

If sleep-disordered breathing or obstructive sleep apnea is suspected, we encourage appropriate medical evaluation and collaboration with the individual's healthcare team.

How Myofunctional Therapy Fits Into Airway Care

Orofacial myofunctional therapy may address functional factors such as tongue and lip posture, swallowing patterns, nasal breathing, and orofacial muscle function.

For individuals with obstructive sleep apnea or other sleep-related breathing disorders, myofunctional therapy should be viewed as part of a multidisciplinary approach when clinically appropriate—not as a replacement for medical diagnosis or prescribed treatment.

We work to complement, rather than replace, care provided by physicians, sleep specialists, ENTs, dentists, and other healthcare professionals.

What We Evaluate

Depending on the individual's concerns, an evaluation may consider:

  • Nasal breathing

  • Oral resting posture

  • Tongue mobility and function

  • Lip seal

  • Swallowing pattern

  • Respiratory patterns

  • Sleep-related symptoms

  • Oral habits

  • Head/neck posture

  • Relevant medical/dental history

    Who we work with

    • Children

    • Teens

    • Adults

    • Patients with diagnosed OSA & UARS

    • Patients being evaluated for possible SDB

    • Patients using CPAP

    • Patients pursuing multidisciplinary airway care

Our goal is to understand the functional picture and determine which areas may benefit from intervention or referral.

Collaborative Airway Care

Airway health is rarely a one-provider issue.

When appropriate, Southern Speech & Myo collaborates with:

ENTs • Sleep Physicians • Dentists • Orthodontists • Primary Care Providers • Physical Therapists • Other Specialists

We believe good care means knowing when therapy is appropriate—and when another professional needs to be part of the team.